Alcohol onboard questions, comments, etc. (merged)

[curlyd]

There is no rule against taking alcoholic drinks on the ship, in fact you can buy alcoholic drinks in the ship's stores. The ships just don't want you taking the alcoholic drinks back to your cabin.

 

Yes I understand that. But why put a store at the Pan American pier, if you didn't expect the passengers to take it aboard and drink it. It is not like the store sold only special bottles not readily available in the continental U.S. or for that matter anyplace else in the world.

 

Maybe that's it, RCI puts the store there for passengers who are arriving from outside the US. That way they can buy it, have the ship store it and at the end of their cruise take is back home. I guess I have to stop thinking only of myself and think outside the box. This store is meant to assist other travelers and not to provide easy access for me to sneak alcohol on board.

 

I am sorry my sarcasm (sp) is not that great. But lets face it, RCI puts that store there, and they know passengers are going to take the bottles on board and take to their cabin. I do drink alcohol, not enough to BYOB but don't mind what others do. I just think RCI should decide one way or the other.

[Cuizer2]

Yes I understand that. But why put a store at the Pan American pier, if you didn't expect the passengers to take it aboard and drink it. It is not like the store sold only special bottles not readily available in the continental U.S. or for that matter anyplace else in the world.

 

Who knows why half the companies out there do what they do? Probably the answer is that they think that they can make a profit from it.

[ChoosinCruisin]

Yes I understand that. But why put a store at the Pan American pier, if you didn't expect the passengers to take it aboard and drink it. It is not like the store sold only special bottles not readily available in the continental U.S. or for that matter anyplace else in the world.

 

Maybe that's it, RCI puts the store there for passengers who are arriving from outside the US. That way they can buy it, have the ship store it and at the end of their cruise take is back home. I guess I have to stop thinking only of myself and think outside the box. This store is meant to assist other travelers and not to provide easy access for me to sneak alcohol on board.

 

I am sorry my sarcasm (sp) is not that great. But lets face it, RCI puts that store there, and they know passengers are going to take the bottles on board and take to their cabin. I do drink alcohol, not enough to BYOB but don't mind what others do. I just think RCI should decide one way or the other.

 

The cruise lines do not own the piers where they dock, they rent a berth. They have no input or control over what is offered at the individual piers.

[curlyd]

The cruise lines do not own the piers where they dock, they rent a berth. They have no input or control over what is offered at the individual piers.

 

My lesson learned for today. Thanks

[ChoosinCruisin]

My lesson learned for today. Thanks

 

You're welcome. Smooth sailings.

[macmax]

My cabin is my hotel room and I sure as hell can't think of many hotel rooms where I can't have a bottle or two. The same goes for the ship being a hotel, I would never take my drink made with my "in room booze" out of my hotel room or a ship's cabin.

My sentiments exactly.

[Beachlady11]

Is liquor being allowed to pass through security at the Pam Am Pier in San Juan upon arrival or are they holding until the end of the cruise?

[pugmommy]

Just back from NOS (11/10-11/18). We took on a bottle of red wine, a bottle of vanilla vodka, a bottle of malibu rum, a bottle of regular vodka and still another bottle of pomegranite martini mix. All made the trip fine and all were consumed while on board. Our room steward made sure that we had fresh ice for martinis before dinner (which we enjoyed with the cheese tray ordered from room service). We mixed our rum with juice in the mornings and enjoyed vanilla vodka with our diet cokes on deck and when leaving the ship. We also enjoyed several drinks of the day and mojitos from the bars on the ship so we don't mind "buying" our drinks either. I packaged them in these great "b.y.o.b" padded carriers that we got from the liquor store or from TJMaxx in the Denver area. Good luck to the others considering being sneaky and just GO FOT IT like we did!

 

Happy Sailing!

PugMommy

[Texas_Diver]

While we are veteran cruisers, our cruise next month on the Rhapsody will be our first on RCCL.

 

Does RCCL allow passengers to take wine aboard? On our other cruises, we were allowed to take 2-3 bottles. If opened in the dining room, a modest corkage fee applied.

 

We just got documents and RCCL claims that they can deny passengers boarding if alcohol is carried on.

 

How does it work on RCCL?

 

D.

[TwitterCruise1]

I know some of the really exclusive and expensive cruise lines include most liquors in their price, but what about RCCL/Celebrity.. etc?

 

Have these lines ever offered an alcohol package?

 

Me, personally- I`m not an alcoholic, but I like to have a few, especially on vacation. I will be getting a nice basket from Just Because of You delivered, but truth be told-- If RCCL offered a beer, house wine, and call brand liquor package as an option, I would definitely take it... what would you guys think would be a fair price to charge, where it would make the guests happy, AND still be profitable to Royal Caribbean?

 

Just an interesting thought...

[zachnlucy]

Either Carnival or RCCL used to have an alcoholic drink card whch basically just saved you a few bucks. It was x# of drinks for x$.

[rsscaptain]

Nope they don't do that anymore. I wish they would too. Although there is a champagne card they offer that gives some discount...

[mrsfuzzmo]

I'm a home based travel agent and I cannot tell you how many of my clients book AI resorts over cruises ONLY due to the free drinks. I know many of them would enjoy cruising and seeing different islands, etc., but they say why would I pay XX number of dollars for a cruise and then have to have a bar bill at the end of a trip, when I can book and AI and have no worries all week. I have to agree, (though I am a cruise lover). I really enjoy AI's because there is no need to carry anything with you. If you want a drink, or something to eat, you just have it. No cards involved, no ID, no nothing. I know I don't have to explain an AI to you. Just wish one or more cruise lines would catch on.

[99florida]

RCCL did at one time a few years back on the Mariner. It was 10 or 12 drinks of your choice for I beleive $45+ tax. Great deal so I'm sure that's why they got rid of it.

[99florida]

Oh, they also had a non-alcohol one for $24. for 12 drinks. It was great for the children that wanted a virgin pina colada or strawberry daq. especially during the shows. They felt so grown up without putting one in the poor house. My boys don't drink soda so this was great for us too.

[PeterO]

I know some of the really exclusive and expensive cruise lines include most liquors in their price, but what about RCCL/Celebrity.. etc?

 

Have these lines ever offered an alcohol package?

 

Me, personally- I`m not an alcoholic, but I like to have a few, especially on vacation. I will be getting a nice basket from Just Because of You delivered, but truth be told-- If RCCL offered a beer, house wine, and call brand liquor package as an option, I would definitely take it... what would you guys think would be a fair price to charge, where it would make the guests happy, AND still be profitable to Royal Caribbean?

 

Just an interesting thought...

 

 

 

On our first 2 cruises with Suncruises, aboard the Sunbird, you were able to buy an unlimited drink card. The cost was around $ 250 CAD/person, a little pricey but it was unlimited (top shelf brands cost you an extra 75¢/drink). We bought the cards on both our cruises and did the addition at the end - we saved approx. $60 CAD in total for the 2 of us.

[margaritadenise]

When we cruised on DCL they offer a wine package where you got a bottle of wine every night with dinner. We loved it! Does RCI offer anything like that?

[nichb0]

Yes, they have a number of different wine packages (3 maybe?).

[jwattle]

Celebrity also has it where you can order a bottle of your favorite hard liquor with a six pack of mixers and munchies if you like, to have waiting in your stateroom when you board....that was very cool to enjoy on our balcony each evening, especially when there was a tropical storm at sea to watch!

[skyscraper06]

We went on a cruise with a group of about twenty people from my husband's company. They gave us a special sticker and we could get unlimited drinks of any kind. It might have been a special deal the travel agent worked out and only for groups, but it wasn't that big of a group. You didn't even have to sign for drinks, the waiters quickly learned who we were and gave us anything we wanted. It was pretty great. I don't know how much they cost, my husband's company paid for them. The wait staff knew how to handle them so I can't imagine they are that uncommon.

[beachchick]

I'm a home based travel agent and I cannot tell you how many of my clients book AI resorts over cruises ONLY due to the free drinks. I know many of them would enjoy cruising and seeing different islands, etc., but they say why would I pay XX number of dollars for a cruise and then have to have a bar bill at the end of a trip, when I can book and AI and have no worries all week. I have to agree, (though I am a cruise lover). I really enjoy AI's because there is no need to carry anything with you. If you want a drink, or something to eat, you just have it. No cards involved, no ID, no nothing. I know I don't have to explain an AI to you. Just wish one or more cruise lines would catch on.

 

I think it would be fine to make it an option, but not mandatory. One of the reasons we don't book AI is that my DH doesn't drink alcohol. The extra cost is worthless to him. If more cruise lines went exclusively AI that would raise the fares substantially. We would probably not cruise (or at least only rarely). I consider alcohol (yes, I do drink) an optional item, not a neccesity. I don't see why my DH should subsidize anyone's drinking besides mine. OTOH, he is more than fine paying for the soda sticker because he doesn't think anyone should have to subsidize his club soda addiction. (And no, I don't think comparing the cost of his club soda to the cost of alcoholic beverages would be equal by any stretch of the imagination.) Making the optional items extra cost keeps the fares low and more of us cruising more often.

 

beachchick

[GoinCruisin]

We were offered an unlimited drink package for our group cruise on the SOS in Feb... everyone in the group had to purchase it, so the group declined... I know Carnival does the same thing. I think the group has to have over 50 people, and everyone in the group has to purchase the pkg... I think it was somewhere between $40-$50pp, per day... Well worth it to me :D

[kristen1206]

I admit I considered bringing a water bottel full of alcohol in my checked luggage but my husband was reading the docs and said they could refuse to let us board if we were caught.

 

I am reading so many threads about people who successfully make it on with what sounds like enough to stock a liiquor cabinet...my question is...has anyone ever been denied (or witnessed anyone who has) on board because of it? i see where they may take it but I was curious as to whether or not they really enforce that policy. Not sure it's worth the risk! I wonder what percentage of people who smuggle get caught.

[scubapuss]

They will not allow you to carry on wine anymore. I brought a bottle for each night in my checked luggage. They charge $12 a bottle to open it and serve it to you. I told our waiter he could charge me every night or I would tip him the money at the end. So I tipped $80. at the end.

[gerif]

I had read that bringing a couple of bottles of wine onboard was no longer allowed prior to our Sept. cruise (Explorer), so I elected not to. When we got to our cabin (which had been decorated for my birthday), DH pulled a bottle out of his carry on to surprise me, so we ordered a couple of cheese plates and enjoyed a nice toast. Guess they really don't check too carefully.